An athlete’s nutrition becomes just as important as their daily training and preparation, since any nutritional deficiency or unbalances could lead to facing another handicap or even worse, to suffering an injury during the game.

It’s for that reason that Chivas USA Strength and Conditioning Coach Armando Camacho pays very close attention to his players’ nutrition. Therefore, he works closely with a group of nutritionists to decide what type of ingredients and types of foods the Goats need to eat each day.

“The player’s nutrition varies a lot depending on the physical fatigue suffered during the session, the training unit or during the entire week,” explained Camacho. “Despite each player being different, and therefore needing their own independent diet, in general, their nutrition should be rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fruits and veggies for fiber.”

The objective of any player, be they a professional for Chivas USA on their way to Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rapids or one of our supporters playing in their community league, is to make sure their body is ready to fully perform in each game and in each activity or daily routine.

On a daily basis, the Red-and-White head to the training fields early in the morning, so their breakfast is one of the most important meals of their day. Just like some of the club’s supporters who like to exercise in the mornings, nutritionists recommend to eat breakfast at least two hours before doing any physical activity, and even more important, to never play sports without having eaten anything first.

“We recommend they eat something at 7 a.m., either a shake, a sandwich or some eggs, a light but nice breakfast, so they can come and perform at training,” suggested the coach. “We recommend not doing any physical activity right as we wake up, but if you have no other option, drink a shake as soon as you wake up, cause not doing can damage the body and therefore the performance, since the body starts grabbing the enzymes from the muscles so they can perform at full capacity.”

At the end of the week, Camacho explains to cdchivasusa.com, how when prepping for the game, we have to start working on our nutrition as early as the day before the match, “with a dinner rich in carbohydrates with pasta and protein, either chicken or a portion of fish, with a side of salad or veggie soup.”

The routine of the Red-and-White player on game day starts at the team’s hotel, where besides studying the opponent, the coaches make sure the players’ meals are spread throughout the day and that there is enough time for them to digest all the nutrients properly before it.

“Breakfast should be nutritional with protein via eggs or in a turkey sandwich, but then at lunch return to pasta, chicken and fish four hours before the game. Preferably the players won’t eat red meat before a game, since it takes longer to digest and the fatigue makes it harder to eliminate the toxins that accumulate in the body,” said Camacho.

Following these advices, the players should be at 100% to jump on the main pitch at the StubHub Center where at 8 p.m. (PT) on Sunday, Chivas USA will face the Rapids. But before doing that, they will need to make sure the players are not only properly fed but hydrated.